Racquet Network

I played with the new Edgeless pickleball paddle for the first time last night. It was a warm spring evening under the lights on the cushioned pickleball courts at the Oakridge Racquet Club in southwest Calgary. I cannot imagine a better setting under which to test a brand new pickleball paddle.

To be completely honest, I had low expectations for Frank Wu’s highly touted new Edgeless pickleball paddle. I have been playing with an Apike for three years now and I truly believed it was impossible to improve upon what I considered to be the best paddle in the world. But there is no question in my mind (now) that Frank has done the impossible.

Fans of Apike, hold onto your hats. Believe it or not, the new Edgeless paddle is even better than its predecessor.

For those of you who don’t know, the Edgless paddle is identical to the Apike in every way except one. While the Apike was banned by the USA Pickleball Association for being too soft, the Edgeless has been welcomed with open arms. In fact, it is the first pickleball paddle produced by pickleball innovator Frank Wu to be accepted as “legal” in USAPA tournaments.

The new Edgeless paddle is 50 grams heavier than the Apike, which makes it a better paddle both for beginners and for players with tennis elbow issues. Amongst the four of us who tested the Edgeless last night, the additional weight was considered to be one of the paddle’s best features. While the superlight Apike has a tendency to turn in your hand when balls are hit off center, the additional weight of the Edgeless counters that and covers up minor off-center misshits.

Meanwhile all of the comfortable features that Apike users have come to love over the past few years remain intact in the Edgeless. For that reason alone, this paddle is a winner and is sure to become a best seller north AND south of the Canada-US border.

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